The Hypersonic Air-breathing Weapon Concept (HAWC) was launched from a B-52 bomber off the west coast, the official said, in the first successful test of the Lockheed Martin system version. An amplifier engine accelerated the rocket at high speed, so the air-breathing scramjet engine ignited and propelled the rocket to supersonic speeds of Mach 5 and above.
The official provided minimal details about the missile test, noting only that the missile flew over 65,000 feet and for more than 300 miles. But even at the lowest end of the ultrasonic range – about 3,800 miles per hour – a 300 mile flight is less than 5 minutes.
The test came days after Russia said it had used its own supersonic missile during its invasion of Ukraine, claiming it had targeted an ammunition depot in western Ukraine.
US officials have downplayed the importance of Russian use of their Kinzhal supersonic missile. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said he did not consider it “some kind of game change” after the announcement of the Russian missile launch. Days later, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said it was “difficult to know exactly what the reason was” for the launch, as it targeted a stable storage facility.
“This is a very important sledgehammer to achieve such a goal,” Kirby said at the time.
The Kinzhal missile is simply an aerial version of the Russian Iskander short-range ballistic missile. In other words, it is a variation of an established technology as opposed to a supersonic weapons revolution. The test in the US was for a more sophisticated and difficult scramjet engine that breathes air. The HAWC missile also has no warhead, instead relying on its kinetic energy to destroy the target.
At the time of the US test, Biden was preparing for a visit to NATO allies in Europe, including a stop in Poland, where he met with Ukraine’s foreign and defense ministers.
The United States has been careful not to take steps or make statements that could unnecessarily escalate tensions between Washington and Moscow. On Friday, the United States canceled a test of the Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) to avoid any misinterpretation by Russia. Austin had already postponed the test in early March to avoid any actions that could be misinterpreted by Russia at such a sensitive time.
In general, the US has also remained somewhat discreet about the weapons and equipment it sends to Ukraine. In the last $ 300 million security assistance package alone, the Department of Defense listed specific systems and weapons.
The United States has also opposed the transfer of fighter jets to Ukraine via the United States, worrying that the Kremlin could interpret such a move as US and NATO entry into the conflict in Ukraine.
U.S. officials have remained silent on the latest ultrasound test for two weeks for similar reasons, the defense official said, being careful not to provoke the Kremlin or President Vladimir Putin, especially as Russian forces expanded their bombardment.
The US test is the second successful test of a HAWC missile and the first since the release of the Lockheed Martin weapon. Last September, the Air Force tested the Raytheon HAWC, powered by a Northrop Grumman scramjet engine.
The test achieved all the primary objectives, according to a press release from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), including the integration and release of the missile, the safe separation from the launch aircraft, the detonation and the cruise. Officials then provided a few details about the flight, without saying how fast the rocket flew or how far it traveled. The publication only reported that the rocket traveled at speeds greater than Mach 5.
The United States has re-emphasized ultrasonic weapons following successful Russian and Chinese tests in recent months, raising concerns in Washington that the United States is lagging behind in military technology deemed crucial to the future.
In the FY23 defense budget, the Biden government requested $ 7.2 billion for long-range firearms, including supersonic missiles. In a report last year, the Government Accountability Office identified 70 efforts related to the development of supersonic weapons, which are expected to cost nearly $ 15 billion between 2015 and 2024.
One month after the first successful HAWC test, the US suffered a setback when a test of a different ultrasonic system failed. The failure came as reports surfaced that China had successfully tested an ultrasonic glider in the summer, shortly after Russia claimed to have successfully tested a submarine-launched supersonic missile called the Tsirkon.
